14 September (Part 2) - Crossrail likely to generate a Thamesmead Tax and a Lesnes Levy on residents
Maybe
it was sunstroke but I got too many things wrong yesterday. I failed to notice
that the evening meeting was of the Transport User’s Sub-Group and not
the real thing where I had hoped to see the Southeeastern railway representatives squirm.
I also forgot to take my notebook and I forgot to reset the volume level on my sound recorder
after reducing it at another venue, so my recording is barely audible.
But it was a very interesting meeting and I am glad I went, even if this report
is largely dependent on memory. The meeting was held in a tiny room with no
barrier
to keep the public (me) away and it was both friendly and well enough chaired by Councillor Val Clark.
The Group had produced a ‘vision’ for the local transport infrastructure. It
covered Thames Crossings, railways, riverboat services, buses, trams and roads including cycling.
On Crossings a tunnel is favoured for Belvedere because it causes far less land
to become wasted. Land under a bridge cannot readily be built upon. The Port of London
is not going to allow bridge support columns in the river which will make the
approach roads even longer. This makes a bridge even more expensive while
advancing technology is making tunnelling cheaper.
Crossrail is the main railway interest and as you know I am sceptical
about the feasibility of an extension to Ebbsfleet. Even Bexley Council seems to
be accepting that a four track solution isn’t viable. Teresa O’Neill
should not
have been so negative about transport infrastructure for purely selfish reasons after gaining the 2006 Tory majority.
A likely big problem after Crossrail services begin is parking. The plan is to
extend the existing Controlled Parking Zone from its approximate 250 metre
radius to 500 metres. According to my calculations that makes it four times bigger.
Councillor Danny Hackett (Labour, Lesnes Abbey) said that a CPZ was effectively
imposing a £100 Crossrail Tax on residents in his ward and that it was unfair
that they should suffer in support of the borough’s transport infrastructure.
Except for Councilllor John Davey (Conservative, Crayford) none of the Tories agreed with him. Councillor
John Davey said the right solution was a single yellow line with a time
restriction on it to deter commuters. This however has a serious downside for
Bexley Council. They would not be able to clobber the north of the borough with
another tax and northerners do not generally speaking vote Tory so who cares?
Councilor Davey who has acquired the annoying habit of talking good sense in
recent times said that if the CPZ becomes too big, residents on its periphery in
possession of a resident’s permit will drive to the station thus totally
screwing up the arrangements for those living near it.
Tiffany Lynch, Bexley’s transport expert recommended doubling the CPZ diameter to a kilometre but not doing it
before Crossrail services commence so as to be able to better judge what the problems were.
Councillor Colin Tandy (Conservative, St. Mary’s) said that the Sidcup loop line should be pushed as the
recommended route to Abbey Wood from the south. He said it only took “ten or
twelve minutes” to get from Bexley to Abbey Wood. Unfortunately it takes twice
that time and the service does not run in the rush hour. Maybe the Council could lobby for improvements?
Moving on from Crossrail to traditional train services
a proposal to withdraw the half hourly Gillingham to Charing Cross via Abbey Wood and
Lewisham service was revealed. From 2018 it would be replaced by a Thameslink Rainham
to Luton service. Abbey Wood to Waterloo isn’t easy at present and it looks like
it is about to get much harder. Bexley Council welcomed the proposal. They could
bring back the rush hour Victoria services while they are at it.
Councillor Clark as Chairman who has previously admitted a flawed knowledge of the
workings of Southeastern railways thought the starting point might be Rainham in Essex.
Presumably there is already a tunnel she is not telling us about.
Despite Bexley’s lack of TfL train services its bus services are generally slow
too because all the routes, from the north at least, go the long way
around. Nevertheless it was said that about 90% of Bexley residents lived within 400
metres of a bus stop but some have a near 1,000 metre walk. All in Thamesmead of course.
And they say it’s not neglected.
Councillor Clark noted that in Greenwich nearly every bus stop has an electronic
departure board while in Bexley there are very few. I would go further than
that, in Bexley what few there were have been progressively removed.
On roads the Council subscribes to the
fashionable view that extra road space can generate
more traffic but it is worried about air pollution. Councillor Tandy was the
only member present to note that the likely reduction in the use of diesel cars
and the move to electric propulsion would mitigate the problems within the next ten years.